Player Updates

Verlander allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings in Wednesday's start against the Cardinals.

Verlander entered the games having allowed one run all spring before the Cardinals touched him for a pair of home runs Wednesday. He told Oliver Macklin of MLB.com that he was working on his pitches and threw some pitch sequences he wouldn't normally throw during the regular season. Despite the ugly results, Verlander felt he took another step in the right direction toward the regular season.

Verlander allowed one run on two hits with no walks while striking out eight over five innings and 61 pitches in Friday's game against the Cardinals, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Verlander said following the game he's pleased where he's at after making his third start of the spring. The 35-year-old right-hander's goal is to get to around 95 pitches by his final spring start -- he's scheduled for three more starts before the regular season. Over three spring starts, Verlander has given up just one run and struck out 17 over 10 innings.

Manager A.J. Hinch announced Monday that Verlander will start for the Astros on Opening Day, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

Verlander will get the ball over Dallas Keuchel, who has toed the rubber for Houston on Opening Day in each of the previous three seasons. The 35-year-old will look to pick up where he left off in his first full season in Houston; he went 5-0 while posting a 1.06 ERA and 43:5 K:BB across 34 innings after being acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline last year.

Verlander allowed two hits and struck out five over three innings Saturday against the Nationals, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Verlander made his second start of the spring and was sharp for a second straight outing, throwing 28 of 38 pitches for strikes. He was so efficient that he did not reach his goal of 50 pitches. Verlander's struck out nine batters over five scoreless spring innings.

Verlander struck out four of six batters faced in Monday's game against the Mets.

Verlander's location was on point, hitting the strike zone on 20 of his 28 pitches. His bread-and-butter remains a mid-to-upper 90s fastball, but the 35-year-old right-hander is more focused on his changeup and curveball this spring, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. The changeup, in particular, has been vexing for Verlander, who said he was tinkering with a split-fingered grip.